A World of Wind Band Music
Research group Lifelong Learning in Music
Presentation
Research Wind Band Sector
1. Preparatory phase:
Orchestra’s under pressure
2. Follow-up:
Focus on the Conductor
3. Research projects into various aspects of wind
bands and orchestras: a.o. focusing on the role
of orchestra boards (volunteers) and repertoire
1. Preparatory phase
Research Wind Band Sector 2013/2014
Background:
• There is a problem in the field of wind orchestra’s • There are also orchestra’s doing very well
Research partners:
• Wind band conducting programme PCC: teachers and students
• Research group Lifelong Learning in Music Focus:
Aim and approach
Question:
What is the state of affairs and what’s going on in the field of wind bands in the North of the Netherlands?
Research
•Inventory Wind Bands North Netherlands
•Survey among a selection of 20 orchestras in three municipalities
Summary results preparatory phase
Inventory: distribution across provinces- Weak (statistical) link inhabitants / orchestras - Most orchestra’s in rural area’s
Summary results
Summary results
Survey in Province of Friesland
20 orchestra’s, 3 municipalities (rural area, small town and city)
•Orchestra’s in the region have disappeared and merged
•Problematic recruitment (youth) members •Difficulties finding financial resources, board
members and volunteers
•Indication for decrease participation in contests (50%) and fear for quality of performance level •Professional conductors 95% orchestras and over
50% of youth orchestras
Focus on the Conductor
Research question:
What are the consequences of changes in the wind band music sector and in society for the profession of the wind band conductor?
Sub questions:
•What roles can be distinguished in the profession of the conductor?
•What developments in the wind band music sector and in society have conductors experienced the past three
decades?
Focus on the Conductor
Qualitative research
Literature review: Master theses, Articles in journals from the field: Klankwijzer , De Dirigent
Narrative interviews with conductors (biographical / expert)
Secondary data: Plan of action (2013) of the national association of wind orchestras (KNMO, Koninklijke Nederlandse Muziek Organisatie)
Focus on the Conductor
Interviews
•4 conductors
3 Friesland, 1 Gelderland
•Fanfare orchestras, Harmonie orchestras Brassbands and youth orchestras
•3 Male, 1 Female
•2 conductors with 10 years of experience
2 conductors with over 20 years of experience •3 conductors with amateur orchestras
Focus on the Conductor
Frame of reference
1 Personal life course
2 Background, including family and upbringing 3 Early musical experiences
4 Education
5 Music education
6 Motivation, ambitions, choices 7 Career path
8 Wind band music field
9 Developments in the (wind band) music sector 10 Changes in society
Focus on the Conductor
Code concentrations
● Background of conductors ● Perceptions of conductors
● Development / learning of conductors ● Ambitions of conductors
● Activities of conductors
● Career path, including port-folio career, transitions / change of direction
● Roles conductors (youth) orchestras
● Description of the wind band music field including changes in the field, for orchestras and conductors ● Changes in society influencing the sector
Changes I society
Consequences economic crisis:
● Closing down of cultural centres and concert locations ● Cuts in arts/music sector
● Less consumer expenditure on arts/music
Zeitgeist:
● Individualisation
● Perception of conductors: attitude of giving up early/easy
Differentiation in and pace of society:
● Limited time
Changes l Music field
Music education:
● Restructuring, job losses, music schools closing down ● Increase freelancing, freelancers working in collectives ● A large variation in the way music education is
organised around and within orchestras
● Competition of other instrument types and repertoire
Music publishing world:
● Take overs, restructuring, job losses, self-publishing ● Less focus on wind band music repertoire, especially
Changes I Wind band Music
Field
In general:
● Transition to less compartimentalisation, unifying efforts ● Growing insight in need for transition from a competitive
to a more developmental attitude ● Image and visibility problem
Changes Wind band Music Field
Orchestras
● Orchestras are disappearing or merging ● Problematic recruitment (youth) members ● Working with substitute musicians
● Increase attention for youth (recruitment, education, youth orchestras)
● Difficulties finding financial resources, board members, volunteers
● Ageing audiences
● Less participation in contests ● Cross-overs
Changes Wind band Music Field
Conductors
● Port-folio career ● Entrepreneurship
Roles
Conductor as a musician:
Musical roles
Conductor as a professional within the sector:
General professional roles
Conductor as a human being:
Roles conductor youth
orchestra
Musical roles:
Educator, artistic leader, arranger, performing musician
Professional roles:
Connector, motivator
Personal roles:
Role of significant figure
“(…) so that’s the important influence of people around
you, who can push you and support you - because I wasn’t always a very secure boy, I was quite insecure - who said you can play very well, wow, you really did a good job.” (…) and I realise now, (…) in an amateur orchestra it’s so important how you motivate people, because it happens so easily that you find yourself snapping at people (...) but my approach has always been to try to get the most out
“For hours and hours you are working on making changes in the music so that this one piece that they like, is playable for that combination of instruments, and (…) no matter how
passionate you are, (…) there may be others who do it, but the work is downright underestimated, financially.”
“(…) I think many orchestras see this work as closing entry on the bottom of the budget list resulting in the fact that there is not always a professional conductor in front of a youth
orchestra. Thankfully I also know many orchestras where there is.”
Transfer of ...
“(...) not by focusing on the technical aspects of being a conductor but on being a human being, to combine all that, and to rely on the idea that the things happening in the orchestra, that they happen through you as a source
of power (…) through your contact with the people, and the sense of your own power (…) by listening to people,
Further research
● Survey conductors North Netherlands ● Project city orchestra CMO, Grunobuurt ● Project boards orchestras
